


Watching Her Gives Me Hope

by protectginozasquad



Category: Psycho-Pass
Genre: Drabble Collection, F/M, Not In Chronological Order, i needed all of these to be organized so here we are, prompts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:01:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 10,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24376936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/protectginozasquad/pseuds/protectginozasquad
Summary: Whether it was born out of destiny or necessity, they have come to need each other. { ginaka drabbles }
Relationships: Ginoza Nobuchika/Tsunemori Akane
Comments: 26
Kudos: 28





	1. A Whisper & A Goodnight Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> most of these are ancient history, but i wanted them all in one place instead of scattered across my tumblr. these are all prompt responses. i take prompts [here](https://kageyamas-mom.tumblr.com/ask)

It began after an overnight case, when Akane fell and hit her head in the field. She had insisted that she was fine, but wanted to go straight home. Ginoza had fussed over her until she agreed to let him come make sure she got back safely.

He wrapped a supportive arm around her all the way into the apartment, ignoring all her reassurances that she was fine, she didn’t need his help, he didn’t need to trouble himself. He had further resolved to sleep on her couch, should she need anything in the middle of the night, or should she start to feel unwell. She had laughed, ruffled his hair absentmindedly - something that seemed to be happening more and more - and indulged him.

Once he was assured that she had settled into bed for the night, he made himself comfortable on her crescent-shaped couch, laying on his back with his eyes open, staring at the ceiling. In a moment of weakness, he allowed himself to breathe in the air of her living space, to wonder what it would be like to share it with her, to be the one to turn on her coffeepot in the morning...

“Ginoza?”

He jerked up at her voice, startled.

“Tsunemori? Are you alright?”

She had a blanket wrapped tightly around her shoulders, and her sleepy face had a small smile on it.

“I’m fine, silly.” Without warning, without explanation, she ambled to the couch and plopped down next to him, her body warm against his side. Unstoppable, a blush rose to his cheeks, blessedly hidden in the darkness of the night.

“What are you-”

“Shhhh,” she cut him off, whispering, snuggling into him. “Don’t ruin it.”

He looked at her, a stammering protest rising again in his throat as she leaned in close. Her eyes were soft, but serious. “No. Don’t ruin it,” she repeated, and captured his lips in a confident, gentle kiss.

She pulled back, amusement tugging at the corners of her lips. “Goodnight,” she whispered before standing back up and turning back towards her bedroom.

“G-goodnight,” he replied breathlessly as she walked away.


	2. I Got Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "you did try to make everything alright."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> set after the memory scoop

“Tsunemori - I’m sorry, I was just worried that-” 

“Ginoza-san,” she smiled at him softly. Just minutes after he had slapped her in the face, he was guilty, fearful she would resent him for his hands-on, goddamned overprotective approach, and he cursed himself as he looked at her, still somehow seeing her so vulnerable, when she, with her soft voice, reached out to comfort him…

“You were just trying to make sure I was alright,” she paused. “I got him, though, didn’t I, Ginoza-san?” 

“What?” He looked at her quizzically, trying to ignore the precious look on her face, even as she wiped bile from her lips. 

“Makishima. I got him.” 

She was right. They had a memory scoop image. She had singlehandedly revolutionized their investigation. He was worried about that smile, though. If he let himself admit it, it was too much like Kougami. Too willing to fight. Too willing to endanger itself. Too easy to lose. 

But still, he had to feel the corners of his mouth tug. He had to smirk, at her recklessness. No, certainly, it did not remind him of Kougami.


	3. Oh, Please

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: a single bloom

Ginoza turned the rose over in his fingers, palms sweating and breath hitching. 

He could still turn back. He didn’t have to give it to her. He could tuck it away in the bottom of his trash bin, never to see the light of day again. 

He jumped at a tap on his shoulder, panicked. But when he looked, he saw a long, black ponytail. Just Yayoi. 

“Hey, Gino, are you gonna put it on her desk, or what?” 

Ginoza sighed sadly. “What if she doesn’t…” His voice trailed off. He met Yayoi’s eyes, filled as they were with uncharacteristic softness. 

“What if she doesn’t love you back?” 

It took Ginoza a moment to stop gaping and respond. “Love is a pretty strong word,” he managed weakly after a moment. 

“Oh, please,” Yayoi waved a hand dismissively. “Love is the perfect word for you two.” 

Ginoza gulped. “Okay. I’ll leave it here then.” He put it down on top of Akane’s keyboard, then turned quickly to head down to his quarters. 

+++

The knock on his door sounded so much more ominous than it needed to. His heart was racing, no matter how much he willed it to slow down. 

He opened the door slowly to see a familiar smile beaming up at him. He scarcely got the door all the way open before she pushed him back inside, and forcefully wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her head in his chest. 

Unsure what else to do, Ginoza gently returned the embrace, allowing his hands to find their way through her soft hair, and, for all his worrying, he let himself smile. 

“Did you like it? I mean, it was just a little flower.” He said shyly. 

She looked up at him, brown eyes wide with joy. “Maybe, but it is my favorite flower in the whole world. Thank you.”


	4. Thank You For Your Concern

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "he is a friend"

“Senpai, there’s something I’m worried about.” 

Akane tried not to sigh too openly. Her junior inspector always seemed to be worried about something. 

“What is it?” She asked without looking back. She and Mika were together in the office late together, working through a pileup of backlogged case reports. Her fourth cup of coffee sat steaming on her desk, on a colorful coaster next to a tiny succulent, two of the few adornments in her workspace. 

“Your relationship with Enforcer Ginoza is entirely inappropriate.” 

Akane turned around slowly, surprised that Mika would be bold enough to address this. 

“I’m not sure what you mean, Shimotsuki-san.” 

Akane wasn’t trying to hide anything. In truth, she and Ginoza were dancing around the issue themselves. There had been a few slips in the last few months. Accidental nights where they talked in his quarters, drawing closer in towards each other until their bodies shared warmth. Little brushes of shoulders and knees when the cases were too stressful. 

But they hadn’t talked about it. 

“You spend too much time in his quarters. He’s a latent criminal. Have you ever even considered the risks of getting involved withs someone like him?” 

Akane wasn’t surprised that Mika had caught on. 

“Mika,” Akane dropped the honorifics to emphasize how serious she was. “Ginoza is a friend. I hope you don’t ever have to appreciate someone the way I appreciate him. You know what happened before you came onto the division, don’t you?” 

Mika’s eyes grew wide and she, for once, was at a loss for words. Akane spoke for her. 

“Ginoza-san and I both lost some of the people we cared most for. It’s only natural that we would… become close.” 

She didn’t feel like hiding it entirely from the other inspector. 

After a few moments, Mika regained her composure. 

“Just be careful, senpai, okay?” 

The concern laced all throughout her haughty tone was not ever lost on Akane. Smiling softly at her junior inspector, she said, “I will be. Thank you for your concern.”


	5. Visiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "he is important"

“Where would you like to go first, Ginoza-san?”

Ginoza tore his eyes from the buildings, whirring by in his vision, to gape at Akane, in the driver’s seat. 

“What on earth are you talking about?” 

“Surely there’s something you must want to do now that you’re out of that miserable place,” Akane clearly said this with as much composure as she could. 

The last two months, the untold hours she had spent in a place she had no business coming near, had been a blur. All he really knew was that his Crime Coefficient had stabilized, Akane had stayed by his side, and he never, ever wanted to go back to the isolation facility. 

“I’m a latent criminal, Tsunemori. My place is at the tower, until Division One takes me into the field.” 

Akane breathed out a long sigh. “You’re hopeless. You’re still Ginoza Nobuchika. But, if you insist upon being formal, I, as your supervising inspector, cannot bear the thought of going into work after all of that paperwork.” 

Ginoza felt a familiar twinge of guilt flit through his chest. “You can just drop me off-” 

“No. Ginoza-san,” Akane switched the car from manual to auto-drive and looked at him, brown eyes wide, deep, full of the hope and stubbornness he had tried so very hard not to get lost in at the facility. But everything there was so white, sterile, and she, with her eyes, was the embodiment of hope, of life. 

“I was thinking, about a place we could go. Don’t you want to visit Masaoka-san?” 

It wasn’t a surprising question. They had talked about it many times during her visits, as trudging through his father’s death time after time was something the therapists had insisted would make him better.

“He was important.” 

“He _is_ important,” Akane responded firmly. “Let’s go get some flowers, and we can eat lunch afterwards. The cemetery is only a few minutes from here.” 

Guilt was still laden through his chest, but her firmness gave him ground to stand on. 

“All right, let’s go, Tsunemori.”


	6. I Bet You Could

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "I bet you could do it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> set sometime in season 1

“I bet you could! Just look at the way you take care of Dime! And the plants!” 

“Don’t be ridiculous, Tsunemori,” Inspector Ginoza pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He and his junior inspector stood on the balcony of the MWPSB tower, looking over the edge and out onto their city. 

The first couple months of working together had been rough. They were too different, he told himself, she was too idealistic, she put herself in both physical and emotional danger. 

And, yet, here they stand, talking about, of all things, family. 

“Not to mention how you look after the team!”

Ginoza took the opportunity to laugh, glanced over at her and felt the sincerity of her smile tug on his heart, the smallest bit. He attributed this to the emotional nature of the topic, most certainly, certainly not to the dimple in her cheek when she smiled like that or the way her hair whipped around her face in the wind. 

“Taking care of a child is much different than taking care of this team.” He paused. “They do act rather childish sometimes, I’ll admit.” He smiled back at her. No, the look in her eyes was certainly not affection. The fluttering of his heart certainly had nothing to do with her.

Oh, what a silly lie. 

“You would be a great father, Ginoza-san. I know you could do it. You could be one of the best. Maybe the best.” 

With that, she turned on her heel and strolled back into the building, leaving him to reflect on the rosiness of his cheeks in silence.


	7. We Should Have Had a Drink Sooner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: ginorisa brotp

“But, Risaaaaa,” Ginoza spluttered his drink as his colleague elbowed him. 

“I mean it, Ginoza,” Risa humphed, annoyed. “Ask her out on a date.” 

“I’m an enforcer!” 

Risa rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. “If that’s going to be your excuse forever, I won’t hear it any longer. Give me something better.” 

Risa nursed her own beer, probably her third, and it was getting near the bottom. She flagged the bartender down to order her third, and a second for Ginoza. 

“You’re just scared,” she wiggled an eyebrow, challenging. 

“Scared?!” Ginoza’s voice jumped an octave. 

Risa smiled in triumph. “Clearly.” 

The pout that formed on Ginoza’s face was priceless. Risa fleetingly thought she’d love to capture it, frame it, keep it. It wasn’t often you found a friend like Ginoza. She just wished he would make a move on the inspector he had been so enamored with for so long. 

“I’m not... scared,” he whined without much conviction. 

“Then I have an idea!” Risa pulled out her communicator. 

“Oh no...” Ginoza moaned. 

“What?” 

“Kagari did this to me, once.”

Risa almost stopped. “Made you call Tsunemori after a few drinks?” 

Ginoza nodded glumly. 

She decided, though, not to back off. “Well, you’ve only had one so far, although I think your second is on its way,” she nodded towards the bartender, who came bearing two full pints of beer, once for each. “And I think it’s a great way to honor the late enforcer’s memory.” 

Without hesitation, she punched a number into the communicator, and let it ring. The bar was quiet, it was a weeknight, and it rang a few times, before: 

“Aoyanagi-san? Is everything alright?” 

“Ah yes,” Risa answered, cocking an eyebrow at the inebriated Ginoza. “I’m just here with Ginoza, and we were... missing you...” 

“Missing me?” 

“Oh yes,” Risa winked at the enforcer on the bar stool next to her. “Go on and tell her, Gino.” 

“Ts-Tsunemori, I-I th-think it’s a lovely night, lovely like y-you...” he stammered, on and on, and Risa smiled, glad to give her friend a hand in his endeavors to charm his inspector.


	8. All He Needed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: wintertime fluff

“Ginoza-san, you’re coming with us, aren’t you?” 

Ginoza’s cheeks warmed. 

“Don’t be ridiculous, Tsunemori, Division Two might need some back up.” 

Division One was going ice skating. _Ice skating._ Akane swore it was a suggestion from Sibyl about some ‘collective hue maintenance,’ and Ginoza wasn’t buying it. Or at least, that’s what he was telling himself.

“I mean, if you’re sure. It’s going to be fun though.” 

The little pout on her face was so subtle, no one else would have noticed. Ginoza fought down a long-broken urge to push something up the bridge of his nose: it’s what he’d done every time he’d found her adorable as fellow inspectors. 

“W-well,” he stammered, unsure. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay? What if you fall and hurt yourself?” 

Her hand twitched, as though she had been compelled to reach out. 

“Oh, I won’t. Don’t worry. You worry too much.” 

And with that, Ginoza was done.

+++

An hour later, Ginoza stood on the sidelines of an ice rink. Akane hadn’t convinced him to get on the rink himself, although he did have ice stakes from the rental office fitted.

For now, he was content to sip a shitty free cup of coffee, offered by the hosting rink, and watch his inspector, so clumsy she had to run into the wall to stop herself. 

Every time she did, she looked around for him, smiled, and kept skating.

And that was all he needed.


	9. This Is What We Always Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: coffee fluff

“Tsunemori, you know you don’t have to get me for this.” 

“But, Ginoza-san, it’s Monday, and this is what we always do. I overslept a little, who cares.” 

Ginoza smiled at her over the intercom. 

“Mika cares.” 

“Mika can get over it,” she said, a little sleepily, if Ginoza knew anything about it. He could hear the little pout in her voice, that one when she hadn’t been awake long enough. He loved that pout, the way it smiled at him, once, after a mistake, in the morning, when it was too late to take the mistake back.

“Just bring me a coffee.”

“Just get your butt out of the tower and into my car. I’ll be there in five minutes. You’ll get your americano, and I’ll get my-”

“Impossibly sweet not-actually-coffee?” 

She hung up on him. 

When he made his way out of the tower, to the garage, where the drones released him when Akane pulled up and showed her credentials, he smiled at her, half-apologetic, half-amused. She smiled back, sleepy-eyed, and severely undercaffeinated. 

He protested mildly about being hung up on without conviction, and they, as they always did, made their way to their favorite Monday morning coffee shop. As they stood in line they laughed at each other, gentle, subtle touches betrayed their feelings, things Ginoza preferred to keep under wraps.

But with her, he couldn’t. For her, he would squeeze her shoulder affectionately, stand a little too close, brush against her fingers as he handed her the coffee, because, when she had a smile like that, how could he not?


	10. Time to Go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Ginaka late-night working fluff

“Ginoza-san,” her voice was soft, melodic, it didn’t even sound real. “Ginoza-san,” and suddenly, there was warmth on his shoulder. 

He jerked into wakefulness, a small, warm hand on his shoulder. Looking around, startled, he heard a familiar giggle, despite the sleepy feelings echoing through his head. As he became more aware of his surroundings, he looked up to see his smiling superior. 

“It’s been a long day, hasn’t it?” Her eyes were full of tired warmth, like the last embers of a fire. Maybe it was the vulnerability of being caught asleep, but Ginoza let a smile, wider than he was used to, grace his lips as he looked at her. 

“I suppose it has been.” He didn’t miss the fact that she hadn’t taken her hand from his shoulder. 

“I’m almost done with my reports, how about you?” 

Ginoza glanced at his screen. His report was minimized, on account of him dozing off on his desk.

He stayed silent, on a whim, lifted his organic hand up to his shoulder to meet hers. Maybe it was the drowsy lack of inhibitions, maybe he was just trying for an excuse, but he leaned up at his chair, looked up into her big, brown eyes. 

“I think I’m as done as I’m going to be, Tsunemori.”

“Maybe it’s time to go, then?” 

“Go where?” He laughed, honest. “I’m just headed downstairs.” 

“Well, why don’t you come for a drive with me?” 

“Tsunemori, you look like you’re about to fall asleep.” 

“That’s the point, silly.” 

Maybe she had dozed off, too. Maybe her inhibitions were worn down from sleep, or too much work. Maybe that’s why she was inviting him over. There was no denying those eyes, that smile.

“I suppose I could handle a drive, inspector.” 

She winked, before whispering. “Let’s make sure you bring a change of clothes, for tomorrow.”


	11. After the Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: saying your name over and over again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ha it's SAD

She heard him scream, “Dad!” And realization washed over her. All this time, she hadn’t known, she hadn’t cared to find out why Ginoza hurt so much, even when Masaoka himself tried to tell her.

“N-no, no,” she whispered as she stumbled onto the scene, numb, hollow, slow.

From a distance, she saw him, didn’t even bother to be surprised. Arm mangled, the sobs no longer making any noise, he was bent over the fallen, bloody body that was becoming nothing more than a cold shadow.

“Ginoza-san,” she said it with a whisper, waves of guilt rushed over her as she wiped her own tears away. Kougami was gone. Kougami was never returning. Ginoza only wanted to protect her, and she had let him fall so hard, so fast, without so much as a thought to him.

When she was close enough, she raised her dominator, still locked in paralyzer mode. Sibyl spoke to her again.

_“Inspector Tsunemori, your foolishness lost us Kougami Shinya, Makishima Shogo, and to make matters worse, cost you a partner. Crime Coefficient is 245.3. Enforcement mode is Non-Lethal Paralyzer. Aim carefully and disable the target.”_

But she couldn’t. She knew she should. Ginoza was covered in blood, shivering, she wondered absently if his Crime Coefficient was still rising.

She called his name quietly at first, unsure if she could look at him. This was her fault. All of it.

“Ginoza-san,” then louder, “Ginoza-san!”

And suddenly she was rushing, she was there, on her knees, stomach twisting as she looked at a body that was no longer Masaoka.

He didn’t look at her. He shook, the grief between them thick as fog. Both their faces were ugly, stricken, marred by the sick reality of loss, failure. They didn’t reach for each other, only knelt, knit together by this bloody rite of passage, this travesty of failed goals, lost relationships, regret running deep as a spring underneath them.

“Ginoza-san, I’m here, Ginoza, Ginoza.”

She did not yet know that when she said his name, she meant “I love you.”

But she said it, over and over, until she started when his body seized up. Gasping, shocked, she looked up, to find the faithful Yayoi, her own eyes misted over, holding a dominator.

“If we don’t do this now, who knows how far he’ll go up,” Yayoi said, kneeling gently behind Akane, twisting off her coat, binding it around what used to be Ginoza’s arm. “Division Two has been dispatched to retrieve us.”

“Those of us who are left,” Akane whispered. When Yayoi was finished with the makeshift tourniquet, with a strength she didn’t know she had left, Akane pulled the unconscious Ginoza off his father, into her lap, smoothed his bloody hair, hoping to find comfort in this small gesture. She didn’t.

Akane continued to say his name, not knowing that it was a confession, not knowing what it meant. She said it like it was the only thing that would keep her from caving in. And in that moment, it was.


	12. I Will Never Run From You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: I love you, not said to me

Their visits to the cemetery were less frequent after Risa died.

Akane came up behind him quietly, not wanting to interrupt him as he spoke to yet another of the ones he had lost.

“I miss you, Risa, I never got to tell you how much I love you.”

Akane tried not to let it hurt. She took a big, quiet breath, hoped he hadn’t heard her. It wasn’t that she hadn’t known, Ginoza and Risa had known each other for so long, worked together, trusted each other. She shouldn’t be surprised to hear that Ginoza loved her.

But his shoulders stiffened, she couldn’t fool him.

“Tsunemori?!” Ginoza hopped up from the gravestone, startled, embarrassed. “I didn’t know you were there.”

“You and Aoyanagi-san, you were close?”

Ginoza reached back with his regular arm to scratch his neck.

“I, we… yes.” He said this like a confession, like it was something he hadn’t wanted her to know.

“I’m done visiting grandma and Kagari,” she said, trying not to let the lump rising in her throat come to the surface. If you want, I can send a car for you-“

"You can’t leave me here unsupervised,” Ginoza’s eyes were sad, apologetic. “I didn’t mean-”

“It’s fine,” Akane turned away from him sharply, started walking briskly towards the parking lot. She could hear him shuffling to keep up with her.

“Tsunemori,” he said softly. “Tsunemori!” His voice grew louder, more insistent as she walked faster. He surprised her by catching her shoulder.

“Please,” she glanced up at his eyes as he pleaded with her.

“Please what?” She didn’t mean for there to be a bite to those words, but it was there.

“You don’t understand!”

“What don’t I understand?”

Ginoza’s lip quivered. “Risa, she had a, um, a relationship with another enforcer, who tried to run from her. She had to perform the appropriate enforcement.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Tears were gathering in the corners of her eyes, and Akane hated herself for it. Hated that she couldn’t let him go, couldn’t let him be someone else’s.

“She was the one who taught me that I should never, ever, no matter what…” His voice trailed off.

“That you should never what?”

“That I should never run from you.”

Akane opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out.

“Akane,” he said her name so gently. “I love Risa because she told me that the one thing I should never to do you is make it so you have to hurt me. That experience tore her apart. I would never, ever do that to you.”

“What… what do you mean?” Her voice was quiet.

In answer, as though he couldn’t restrain himself, he pulled her into his arms.

“I don’t ever want to hurt you,” his whispered as he hugged her tightly, his breath hot on the top of her head.


	13. Ginaka vs. The Beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this prompt was literally "ginaka vs the beach"

Ginoza sat on his beach towel, rigid, smoothing the edges every time he could. It was a rare weekend off for both Ginoza and Akane, so Ginoza had promised they could do whatever she wanted. He hadn’t expected her to want to go to the beach. The sandy, hot, messy, gross beach. But he had promised her, so here they were.

Akane walked up, and Ginoza tried, unsuccessfully, for the third time that day, not to blush. Her swimsuit wasn’t extravagant, it was simple, orange, perfectly fitting for her, not ornate, only highlighting her quiet radiance.

“What’s with you? Your cheeks are getting so red.” She bent down over his towel and ruffled his hair.

“I already told you, I’m getting sunburned!” He tried to scowl without succeeding.

“I told you to put sunscreen on!”

“I did!”

“Then why are you getting sunburned?!”

Ginoza was thrilled when Dime ran up, happy to have a distraction from his blushing cheeks. Or at least, he was thrilled until he saw how wet Dime was, and he barely had time to yelp, “Dime- no!” Before the exuberant husky shook off water all over them.

“Ack! Dime!”

He was going to scold his dog but was distracted by the furious laughter of his accompanying inspector.

“I’m soaked!” She smiled, broad and sincere, soft and sure. “And so are you.”

Ginoza brushed his now-salty bangs from his eyes, rolling his eyes as he looked between his dog and his lover. Inside him, the annoyance of being soaked and sandy was being quickly overtaken by his affection for his tiny family. Well, family was Akane’s word. Ginoza always said it was too dangerous to say it so casually, so sincerely.

But sincerity was what Tsunemori Akane was made of, and he loved every bit of her sincerity.

“Do you know what this means?” She asked with a cocked eyebrow.

“What?” He answered, tentative.

“We need to go swimming!”

“I fail to see how getting soaked by my dog and going in the ocean are connected, Akane.” He folded his arms over his chest, tried not to get lost in her eyes.

“Well, your loss then. Dime will come with me if you won’t,” she stuck her tongue out at him before turning to the husky. “Do you wanna go in the ocean again? Since your grumpy owner hates the ocean and the beach?”

“Hey, I’m right here!”

“Let’s go, Dime,” Akane ignored Ginoza and headed towards the water.

Ginoza couldn’t help himself. With a noncommittal groan, he stood up from the towel and put his feet in the hot sand. It wasn’t so bad, he thought to himself, as he called out to the inspector to wait for him.

She turned and graced him with one of her perfect smiles, honest and full of hope.

For her, he’d swim in every ocean.


	14. Freedom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: storm

The wind howled around the edges of her apartment. The windowsills shook, the windows rattled. Somewhere outside, a ripping sound tore through the sky as shingles were ripped from roofs that shouldn’t be so fragile.

Ginoza followed Akane with a flashlight as they searched through the cupboards, one by one.

“To think, in this day and age,” her voice betrayed an annoyance bordering on fear. Ginoza inched closer, hoping to give her solace as he silently reminded her of his presence. He didn’t touch her, she was too wound up, too busy, moving, moving, as she always did.

“That we have to find candles in my apartment during a windstorm.”

Ginoza wondered if she was nervous because she remembered the last time the infrastructure of the city was inadequate. The last time the power was gone. Just days before Kougami disappeared, perhaps the day of Kagari’s death. Akane had told him about that, too.

And then, for a moment, he wished for a dominator. To see if they were down, if Sibyl wasn’t watching. Maybe he could beg, she would listen, they could be free somewhere far away.

“Here they are!” Her frustrated voice, ever full of melody, no matter how distressed, broke through his thoughts.

No, it wasn’t time to run.

“Let me light them for you,” he spoke softly, put his warm hand gently on her shoulder. “Why don’t you go find a blanket and sit on the couch?”

Even in the dark, he could see her brown eyes, flecked with gold. They crinkled at the corners, she smiled. What would he do without that smile?

“Okay. Come to the living room when they’re lit.”

As she bounced from the kitchen to the living room, Ginoza knew one thing for certain. He didn’t need to run to be free. With her, he had the best kind of freedom. The freedom to love someone.


	15. Whatever Suits You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: grinding (i think the prompter had something much different in mind but HERE WE ARE)

“Ginoza-san?” 

“Yes, inspector?” Ginoza looked up at her from his desk, green eyes flecked with golden curiosity. She loved that look, how it showed a soft concern, a quiet desire to answer her, no matter how big or small the issue. 

She felt silly, but she had to ask anyway.

“Saiga-sensei sent me something... and I’m not sure what to do with it.” 

She shifted on her feet, uncertain, smiled, almost embarrassed, but not quite. 

“I think it’s coffee?” 

She held out a small, transparent bag, full of, sure enough, coffee beans. 

Ginoza smiled at her, eyes crinkling softly at the sides. “Saiga-sensei does love his coffee.” He paused, thoughtful. She let him think, let herself soak in the easy silence between them. It was a warm afternoon in the office, the rest of the team off for the day. The caseload had been less weighty than usual, both in volume and emotional strain. 

“Saiga used to send his fancy coffee beans to Kougami. Said no one could really appreciate it. He must think you’re quite the classy inspector.” He cocked an eyebrow at her, looking at her as she leaned across his desk.

“W-well, classy isn’t a word I would use,” when she spoke, her voice shook, stammered nervously, she didn’t know why - she did know why, but she ignored it, push the flittering butterflies in her stomach from her mind.

“I think I have a coffee grinder, something leftover from Kougami, in my quarters. We can grind it up and have some of that classy coffee after our shift is over.” 

+++

“This might keep you up late, inspector. Kougami always said real coffee is stronger than what we drink everyday.” 

“I’m too curious, Ginoza-san!” 

She heard him laugh over the sound of the loud, archaic, electric coffee grinder.

“Whatever suits you, inspector.” 

Since she wasn’t making eye contact with him, she let the butterflies overwhelm her, just a little bit, as she smelled the dark, sweet smell of real coffee for the first time.


	16. Sunlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: i'm actually unsure what the prompt was sorry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: major character death

There wasn’t enough sunlight in the office, anymore. 

He remembered a day when Akane had sighed loudly to the officework-laden Division One, exclaimed, in the middle of a stifling day of paperwork, that it was thoughtless of the MWPSB to build the office in the middle of the tower, where there were no windows, no sunshine. 

“They used to say that Vitamin D was something everyone should make sure they have enough of, you know.” 

“Well, senpai, our supplements give us more than enough Vitamin D. Plus, you know they built the office that way to give the enforcers less of a chance to escape.” 

Akane had turned away from the junior inspector, caught Ginoza’s eye briefly. Rolled her eyes so slight it could have been a trick of the light, one corner of her lip turned up. Only he had seen. That was the way they liked it.

+++

He was lightheaded, today. It was happening more and more. Like his eyes were always trying to adjust to an ever-deepening darkness. 

She was the only sunlight he had ever needed. 

Now, only the memory of her light remained. 

A bad case, a stray bullet, not enough time, a useless enforcer.

Yes, a very useless enforcer.


	17. Something Nice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: chocolate

“Karanomori, please?” 

Ginoza couldn’t believe this. Here he was, in Shion Karanomori’s office, asking, no, begging, for access to Tsnemori’s personnel file. 

“Uh-uh, you aren’t getting off that easily.” 

“I just want to do something nice for the inspector.”

“Nice, huh?” Her grin was sideways, malicious even, enjoying every single drop of Ginoza’s discomfort. She wasn’t taking any measures to hide her amusement. 

He wanted to say something else, to explain more to the nosy analyst, to shut her up, before she asked any incriminating questions. But he was frantic, brain whizzing into overdrive, just looking to show his - his - inspector some appreciation. He didn’t say anything else. 

Shion rolled her eyes.

“Fine. You look pathetic, stop it.” Shion exhaled a long column of smoke as the smirk curled up in her lips. 

“But I need some insurance.”

“Insurance?” 

“Yeah. Because if I help you, it has to be the real deal. No backing out, no stammering excuses. You just tell her how you feel, okay?” 

“What?!” This was not part of the plan. Ginoza’s insides twisted. “No one said anything about talking about feelings.” 

“But don’t you want the good inspector to know? To know that his heart of hearts, enforcer Ginoza Nobuchika is softer than an old, wet sponge, full of sickly sweet mush all for inspector Tsunemori Akane?” 

“Well, gee, when you put it like that, why wouldn’t I want to tell her,” he snorted without thinking. 

“Tut, tut, Ginoza, when you’re with me,” the analyst took another drag as she clicked down softly on a remote Ginoza didn’t remember seeing. A sickening chill ran through him as he heard his own voice, “Why wouldn’t I want to tell her?”   
“K-Karanomori,” he started to shake, subtly. “You w-wouldn’t-”

“Oh but I would!” Shion answered, voice sultry with satisfaction. “I would love nothing more than to drop Ginoza Nobuchika’s little secret upon the blushing inspector Tsunemori in the middle of the office when all of Division One is in but,” she smiled wide. “We’re friends. So I’ll give you a chance. A chance to do it yourself, so I don’t have to.” 

“So,” Ginoza completely, entirely, one-hundred-percent regretted his decision to ask Shion for help, making a mental note never to ask her for anything again. “What’s Aka-I mean, Tsunemori’s favorite candy?” 

“I knew you guys were on a first-name basis by now,” Karanomori winked. “Luckily, I have her file right here, and, darling little thing that she is, it notes that her favorite candy is dark chocolate with almonds. Think you can manage that?” 

Ginoza inhaled deeply, shaking subsided slightly. “Yeah, I think so.” 

Karanomori raised her eyebrows. “Well, you better manage it, or it’s old sponge Ginoza for all of Division One to hear.” 

Ginoza cursed under his breath as he stalked out of her office.

+++

“You can do this, you can do this, you can do this,” he whispered to himself under his breath, as he steeled himself. 

He had sent Tsunemori a message to come to his enforcer quarters after she was off her shift, if she had time, of course. She had responded immediately, saying she would be down at 7pm sharp. 

It was 6:57, and Ginoza was edgy. He kept fidgeting with his ponytail, turning the little box of chocolates over and over in his hands, walking to and fro. Dime kept staring at him in mildly confusion, bordering on concern. 

The knock startled Ginoza, even though he knew the time. 

He opened the door, felt his stomach flip in terror, as his small inspector stared up at him. Her lips were tight, eyes tinted with concern. 

“Is something wrong?” _Oh no. He had worried her._

“No!” Too forceful. He cleared his throat. “No, not at all, please, come in.” 

“What is it?” 

“I, um, I got something for you,” without warning, without thinking about it, he shoved the small box roughly in her hands. She started at the sudden touch, looked up at him, with those large, sweet, sincere eyes. 

He couldn’t help himself. Without warning, without thinking about it, he bent down, closed his eyes, and leaned into her. He kissed her, clumsy and soft but lingering when she didn’t pull away. He lost himself in it, for a moment. 

He jumped back, as much shocked as she was.

“Tsun- Akane - I, um, I…” 

She wrapped her arms around his waist. “You’re the best,” she said simply.

His heartbeat had yet to slow down, he was still overwhelmed, terrified by his own audacity, but he comforted himself, somewhere in a corner of his mind, with the thought that this would certainly satisfy Karanomori.


	18. University

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: university au

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (obviously) not canon compliant

Maybe it was just his imagination. It had to be his imagination. That the pretty girl with the short brown hair and the soft smile was flicking her eyes in his direction. 

Let’s be honest, Psych 101 wasn’t exactly everyone’s most riveting class, and even if she was looking in his direction, it couldn’t really mean anything. 

Ginoza Nobuchika sat in Psychology 101, pretending to learn things he had far too much experience with anyway, and couldn’t keep his thoughts away from the small girl in the second row. Professor Saiga was sure to notice that he wasn’t paying attention, but Ginoza, whose best friend had long mocked him for being such a class pet, frankly didn’t care. 

“...explain that to me, Ginoza?”

Right on cue, Professor Saiga turned from his blackboard to the day-dreaming sophomore, tapped his foot, impatient but amused. 

Ginoza panicked. 

“I-I’m s-sorry professor,” he stammered. “Can you repeat the question?” 

Shit. This was not going well.  
“I was asking how the relationship between borderline personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder has changed in the newest revision of the DSM, but I’ll find someone who’s paying attention. Yes, Miss Tsunemori?” 

“Previously borderline and narcissistic personality disorders were both axis II conditions on the same spectrum, but since the revision...” 

She continued on with a perfect answer, and Ginoza, glum as could be, watched her in awe. Professor Saiga clearly wasn’t going to give him a chance to redeem himself, so he might as well just watch her. 

He felt an elbow in his side. 

“Ow,” he hissed as he glared at his classmate, his ruffled-hair best friend, Kougami Shinya. “That hurt.” 

“So did watching you flub up an easy answer, you nitwit,” Kougami shot back with a grin. 

“Shut up. I need to pay attention.” 

“I’ve never heard anything more ridiculous. You just want to get another eyeful of little miss smartypants down there.” 

Ginoza turned away from him, determined not to dignify such an answer. Kougami knew the truth, after all. He didn’t need to hear it again.

When class ended, Ginoza and Kougami picked up their respective things and headed towards the door. Ginoza shuffled out quickly, pretended that he wasn’t trying to get out before his tiny crush, until he felt himself grabbed roughly by the collar from behind.

Oh no. Kougami.  
“What’s the rush, Gino?” Kougami whispered into his ear. “You think you’re gonna weasel your way out of this one?” 

“Kougami, please,” Ginoza pleaded. “Let me go.” 

“So you can run away? Not a chance.” 

Kougami held onto his best friend tightly, until the tiny, brown-haired girl made her way through the door. 

Somehow Kougami managed to subtly push Ginoza, just at the perfect angle, so that he stumbled into the smaller girl, papers flying every which way, apologies and curses abounding. 

“I’m s-s-sorry! It’s A-Akane, r-right?”

Blessedly, she giggled as she started to bend down for her papers. Ginoza, unsure what he was doing, knelt down to help. 

“Yes. And you’re Ginoza, right?” 

He flushed. 

“Y-yeah, that’s me.” 

“You know, I missed the lecture for biology yesterday, you’re in that class, aren’t you?” 

Ginoza nodded, dumbfounded. He had fucked everything up in class, almost knocked her over, thrown her papers across the floor, and here she was making small talk, smiling like something from a movie, and he could hardly speak. 

“Are you doing anything right now? I would love to go to the library and copy down your notes, if that would be okay?” 

Ginoza’s heart was beating quickly, and he tried, desperately, to stay calm. 

“I’m free,” was all he could manage. 

She squinted as she smiled. He wondered if that’s what she always looked like when she was happy, if she was happy now. 

“Great, let’s go!”

She certainly sounded happy. He let himself revel in it. Her happiness, her warmth. It was enough for today.


	19. I Don't Think She's Fooled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: ginoza trying to make akane a surprise meal

“I d-don’t think she’s fooled, G-Ginoza-san,” Hinakawa whispers over the communicator connection, shy as usual and even more nervous. 

“I don’t care what you have to do, just keep her occupied!” It comes out a little bit more stern than Ginoza means. 

“O-okay,” Hinakawa mutters over the other line, dejected. 

“I didn’t mean that, Hinakawa-kun,” Ginoza changes his tone. “Just distract her as long as possible. Dinner is taking me longer than I thought it would.” 

“N-no problem, Ginoza-san.” 

“Thank you. Really, I mean it.” 

They hang up. 

It isn’t technically Valentine’s Day. There’s a full two weeks until the actual day arrives. But the idea of having to ask Akane on a date on a day with such high expectations was way too much for Ginoza. 

No, much better to settle for the initial surprise before Valentine’s Day. That way, if she says yes, there is no tension on the day, and if she says no, well, he’ll spend it like any other Valentine’s Day, alone, in his room. Better that he wouldn’t be able to get out this year, anyhow, see anyone other couples. 

Ginoza is stirring things in three different pots, doing as many things as he can with hands to distract himself from how they shake with nerves. 

+++

A few hours later, after an abbreviated warning message from Hinakawa, there’s a knock, followed by a call from the entryway. “Gino, it’s me!” 

“A-ah,” he finds himself at a loss for words. “Ts-Tsunemori, I mean, Akane!” 

She giggles as she heads down the stairs. 

“It smells delicious in here. What are you cooking?” 

“Well, it’s sort of special I guess. Something my dad used to make, um, for my mom and, um…” 

They lock eyes, and her whole face softens, as if she knows before he even tells her. 

“I was hoping we could enjoy it together,” he manages to finish.

Akane walks right up to him, by the stove, bypassing the well-set table. She stands in front of him, puts her hands on her hips, cocks her head to one side, and smiles slyly. 

“I wondered when you were going to get around to this,” she says with a wide smile. 

All the tension in his face, jaw, shoulders, eases, as he smiles at his small inspector, the desire of his heart. 

“Dinner is almost ready,” he said simply.


	20. Well On Your Way

“You never told me why you joined the PSB,” Ginoza was surprised to hear himself talking, asking a question of his rookie subordinate, who had grown more talented quickly, in the little time she had been here. 

“Kagari-kun asked me that a few weeks ago,” she said, flicking her eyes over to him as he drove. 

They were on their way to a crime scene, nothing as serious as the recent cases that had been linked to Makishima. It was much more routine, probably a malfunctioning street scanner, causing an area stress alert where no hue irregularities had been detected. Still, it was the job of the PSB to make sure the public was safe. 

The paddy wagon, carrying only Kagari and Kunizuka this time, chugged along behind them. 

“Kagari?” Ginoza had never thought the cheeky enforcer one for real questions, although, as he reflected on it, he could see why Kagari would want to understand Tsunemori. She was fascinating, really. 

He caught himself in the thought and pushed it from his head. How silly. 

“He asked why a cute girl like me ended up here. It was a good question, after what happened that first night.” 

“Well?” 

“I had my reasons, I suppose,” Ginoza saw her gazing out the window, almost longingly. “I told Kagari-kun that it was because of my aptitude score, and maybe that was it.” 

She paused, and he wondered if he had pressed her too much. 

“My obaa-chan always reminded me of the value of individual lives, and it seemed like the best way I could keep people happy, by being one of the people who keeps them safe. Or,” she let a little giggle escape. “Try to keep them safe, anyway. I’m not much good for it quite yet.” 

“Oh, I think you’re well on your way, Tsunemori,” Ginoza said without thinking about it. 

“You’re silly, Ginoza-san,” without looking, he could hear the smile in her voice, and he wished, fleetingly, that her voice would always sound that way.


	21. It Won't Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: Gino's first case back as an enforcer

The truth was, he never knew when he was falling apart. You would think after all that time in therapy, the months watching his Crime Coefficient climb, the weeks in the facility, he would know when he was starting to crack.

He was an idiot, after all. 

His first case back, the first time pulling the trigger as an enforcer, it had to be a Lethal Eliminator, of course it did. 

Why was he shaking? He had done this so many times before. 

The ground was hard and cold under his feet as he collapsed, Yayoi’s voice was kind as she asked if she could help him stand, but all he could do was stare, at the mess of blood and viscera of the person - the criminal - he had just performed enforcement on. 

Was it the knowledge that it would be him someday? 

“No, it won’t be,” a soft voice, not Yayoi’s, floated into his ear. Since when had Tsunemori been able to read his mind? 

He turned his head slowly. She was kneeling on the cold ground next to him, the other enforcers were headed back to the paddy wagon with Mika, loading up. 

“I told them to go on ahead. Mika’s going to leave a vehicle for us.” 

He barely registered the words, only stared at her kind, soft eyes blankly. A part of him noticed dampness as soft drops began to fall. 

“You’re going to get wet,” he spoke, finally. He moved to take off his jacket. It felt good to move, to help, as long as it was for her. 

“Can you feel the rain, Gino?” She opened her palms, like a child catching a snowflake, and momentarily took her eyes from his to look up.

It wasn’t the first time she had used the nickname, but it was the first time it made his heartbeat quicken. 

“You’re here, still. We’re here. I’m here, this is all real,” she looked back at him. “We get to live life. The rain helps us remember that.” 

He was almost surprised when she reached up to cup his cheek. “Try not to forget that there are things worth living for.” 

“I’m so weak,” he whispered. 

Her eyes crinkled at the corners. “No, Gino, you’re not.” She released his cheek, took the coat he offered, and stood. “Let’s get some tea. Then we’ll take you home.”


	22. Candy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: ginaka and candy (the AI)

“Tsunemori-saaaaaan! Good morning!” 

Akane blinked, groaning as she rolled over to reach for her phone. But as she did so, instead of her hand reaching the cool wood of her nightstand, it landed on something softer, warmer. Something that also groaned. 

“Candy? What? Gino…” she yawned, still disoriented, before shooting up. 

“Ginoza!” 

“There is no need to be alarmed, Tsunemori-san,” the jellyfish answered instead of Ginoza. “Sibyl recommends daily exercise or,” it almost looked like the personal assistant smirked, although such a thing wasn’t possible, “nightly exercise if daily exercise is unavailable!” 

“A-Akane?” Ginoza turned over, his long bangs falling into his eyes. 

It was four months since the fateful day, when everything had changed, two months since his release from the facility. 

_He needs a haircut,_ she thought.

“I’m, um, I’m sorry,” Ginoza muttered as he pulled the blankets up around himself. The apology was genuine, probably, but he didn’t seem quite with it yet.

So he isn’t a morning person, her next thought brought a smile to her lips, despite the oddness of the situation. 

It wasn’t that she didn’t remember bringing him home, find comfort in him, all the things that led them to this, it wasn’t even really surprising, she admitted to herself as she watched her subordinate-now-turned-lover start to stir. 

“Can I make breakfast for the happy couple?” Candy’s early morning voice was even shriller than usual. 

“Go, Candy, yes, breakfast, just go,” she growled at the personal assistant before laying herself back down, accepting the moment for what it was, for now. 

“Yes, Tsunemori-san,” Candy said, and Akane could have sworn she winked, as she floated through the wall to Akane’s apartment kitchen.


	23. Desperation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: breaking the rules

His breath is hot against hers, the office chair squeals quietly, like a kettle rising up to temperature, beneath her. 

They shouldn’t be doing this. They should be smarter. They _are_ smarter. 

But Sibyl found out, somehow. Mika, maybe, or a slip of their own. It didn’t matter now. They’re scheduled for a meeting with Kasei first thing in the morning and Ginoza has been instructed to bring every scrap of paperwork with him. 

Drones had even begun cleariing things from his desk. 

Couldn’t they at least have the decency to wait?

So she kissed him, or he kissed her, one of them had started it. Cameras, eyes of Sibyl be damned. Maybe it was the lethal end of a dominator he would be facing come morning. Maybe it was back to the facility, maybe she would never get lost in those green eyes again. 

So they broke every rule, threw caution to the wind like a tattered, unneeded rag, but she needed him.

She needed him so much. 

And tomorrow, no matter how far it went, he wouldn’t be hers anymore.


	24. You're Safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "shhh you're safe. i won't let go"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> post season 1. set at the facility.

The first time this particular nightmare happens, it is the middle of the day. Not like it mattered. The place remained sterile and bright, dimming the lights according to the each patient’s own, internal rhythms. Odd how the system could calculate something as strange as sleep needs. Maybe if they had done that before, regulated him, he wouldn’t be held captive. 

The last thing he remembers is seeing Tsunemori, feet up on what has to be a painfully uncomfortable chair, rigid as it is she manages to look relaxed in it. A tablet rests in her lap, her gentle fingers swiping across it. Perhaps she’s reading a novel, he remembers thinking, like Kougami used to. 

Sleep rests upon him, warm as the blankets he burrows into, until it comes. 

It’s barely a week since his prosthetic has been attached, but he dreams himself his father. Heart pounding in his chest, Makishima laughs in the background, and his father lays over him. His father is screaming, “Nobuchika, I’m so sorry, Nobuchika, why is it always too late?” 

He wakes flinching away from touch, he hates how the doctors pretend to soothe him, but this time, it’s different. 

Blurred and confused, his eyes focus on something different than the white lab coats he is used to waking to. Warmth covers one hand, he knows it must be covering the other as well.

“Don’t sit up yet,” a familiar, melodic voice says. 

“Tsunemori,” he breathes, not believing that it’s her.

“Whatever it was,” she answers him, “it wasn’t real. You’re safe here.” 

A squeeze on his feeling palm, a cool cloth rubbed over his sweaty brow. 

“I won’t let it happen to you, whatever it was.” 

His eyes focus, and against the mute whiteness, his inspector sits, brow concerned but unafraid. 

He doesn’t reply, barely jerks his head for what he hopes is a nod, an assent, how he wants to believe her. How he hates himself that he doesn’t. 

Maybe someday he will.


	25. Sharp Edges

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: we met right here

Ginoza tried not to think about it, pushed it away, absently. The memory of his harsh voice, indifference like a brick wall. He hadn’t mean to push her away, back then. Protection had always looked like walls to him. Their thickness was a measure of safety.

He thought differently, now. As he stared at the abolition block, neon ablaze in the haze of the warm evening. At least the weather was different, even if the case closed in the same blessed way. A few years ago, he had stood with a new junior inspector, thrown a jacket at her and her to the wolves of the job. How he wished he had known what would happen.

“We met here, do you remember, Ginoza-san?” 

A light brush on his arm, as she came up behind him, his insides tightening, ever so slightly. Ginoza had hoped she hadn’t remembered, couldn’t help but be glad that she did. 

He turned his eyes towards his inspector, small, radiant, as she always was, even on a tired day like today.

He smiled at her, forced it. He had to smile for her. 

“I suppose we did. It’s a shame you remember it.” 

She pushed his arm, harder this time. Feeling his pulse quicken, he cast his eyes downward. 

“Don’t say things like that,” she said, gentle but firm.

“It wasn’t my shining moment,” he insisted, ever clumsy in his ability to protect, to communicate. He wished he could be softer, that his honesty wouldn’t have such sharp edges.

He had always been destined for this fracturing, these cracks. He knew she saw through them, thanked whatever powers that be for that. 

Akane cracked one of those smiles of hers. “I know what you were trying to do. It’s what you always do.”

“Oh?”

“Protect me.” 

She knew him, inside and out, fractured heart and all. 

For that, he had to be grateful.


	26. Everything I Need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: I want freedom

“It’s not so bad, really,” Ginoza tried not to let his words slur over the phone. 

He knew it was stupid, all of it. That extra drink, reaching for the communicator, but here he was: Inspector Tsunemori on the other line, probably trying to sleep. He was being selfish, as usual. 

“You’re very good at being content, Gino,” her melodic voice was music to his ears. He smiled at her words, barely heeding their content as he let her voice drift over him. 

It had not been long ago that she had been beside Ginoza on this same sofa, warm against his side, lingered in the enforcer quarters so long that she didn’t bother going home. Had they slept on the couch or gone to his bed? In the haze of the alcohol, he couldn’t remember, could only picture the feel of her soft lips against his. 

He shouldn’t be asking this of her, stealing her time. She deserved the possibilities offered by a free man, not a man on a leash. 

“The only time I really want freedom is when I think about being with you.” 

He gasped, hardly able to believe he had actually said it. He shut his eyes, slumped into the couch, covered his face even though they were only on audio communication. His metal hand was cool against his skin, flushed hot with alcohol and shame. 

“Don’t say that, Gino.” 

He had expected her stutter, to skirt around it. He shouldn’t say something so clumsy. 

“But,” he continued in spite of himself. No matter how much he told himself to stop talking, the words tumbled out anyway. “You deserve someone who can give you what you need.” 

“And why do you suddenly get to decide what I need? Maybe I have what I need. Did you ever think about that?” 

He sat up rigid again. “W-what?” 

“I have everything I need already, Gino,” the sharp tone gone, it was replaced with her softness. 

Ginoza sighed into the communicator, afraid to admit that he actually believed her.


	27. Comforting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "I noticed you were sick so I decided that I was going to take care of you all day but surprise surprise, I got sick from doing it. - The kisses were totally worth it though."

Akane heard the kettle go off, and she made a move to come out from under her comatose blanket state. 

“No,” Ginoza wheezed at her, throat dry and scratchy, wiggling out from that same blanket pile, which they were sharing along with their germs. “I’ll get it,” he managed before a fit of coughing.

“This is ridiculous,” Akane said, her own voice scratchy but returning. “You never should have come over the other day.”

She missed his warmth as he managed to stand, ponytail askew from the hood of his sweatshirt. They both looked like disasters, surrounded by boxes of tissues, cough drop wrappers, and empty cups of tea, which Ginoza scooped up as he headed, sniffling, for the kitchen. 

“Oh, I don’t mind,” he said, the hint of a smile creeping into his raspy voice. 

“I can’t believe you got sick.” 

“Really?” He called back from the kitchen.

“Don’t raise your voice!” She nagged, unable to help herself. She knew his throat hurt, and it was all her fault. 

When he ambled back in, the smile she had heard remained. 

“Of course I got sick,” he handed her the steaming mug before crawling back into the blankets, settling next to his sick inspector. 

“You should have at least stayed at the tower last night.” 

Ginoza cocked an eyebrow, smiling before another fit of coughing overtook him. When he regained his composure, with a slow sip of fragrant ginger tea, he said, “No. I shouldn’t have. I was comforting you.” 

He winked, and she went red, flustered. “I’m the reason you’re sick,” she mumbled. 

“And believe you me,” he replied, “I am perfectly okay with that.”


	28. Resurrection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: will it resurrect him?

“I got the stuff from the plant store!” 

Akane burst into Ginoza’s enforcer quarters, not bothering to knock. They’re a little bit past that, by now. Besides, she had told him she’d be by as soon as possible. 

While Ginoza was at the isolation facility, Akane had tended to his plants, had them moved carefully by expert plant movers (who knew that was a speciality?) from Ginoza’s old apartment to the tower - he hadn’t even given her an answer yet, but she had known. 

She had made a habit of stopping by Masaoka’s old quarters, empty save for the assortment of plants with a lamp that mimicked sun.

She was never much of a gardener, but they had survived. 

Or, so it had seemed.

About a month after Ginoza’s release, the bonsai tree started to wilt. First the leaves drooped, then turned brown, then fell off. 

Maybe Akane wouldn’t have noticed before, but she noticed now. 

Ginoza had sent her to the store with a special plant food in mind. 

“Will it resurrect him?!” She flew down the steps towards Ginoza.

She expected him to be sad, worried. He was still so thin from his stay at the facility.

But the bony cheeks lifted upwards in a smile.

“We won’t know for sure until we try, but I have a good feeling about it.”


	29. Coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: coffee shop au

“We’ve been coming here for two weeks, Gino, and not that this coffee isn’t better but come on, the gas station is so much closer to the precinct.” 

Ginoza turned to glare pointedly at his best friend and former partner in the detective department, Kougami Shinya. Recently they had both been promoted from being partners in a lower division to each leading their own higher-up division. While it afforded them a good bump in a pay grade, they did miss seeing each other, so they had taken to getting coffee on any morning they both had a shift at the same time. 

“I thought the whole point of this was for us to spend time together,” Ginoza said. 

“Sure but,” a mischievous grin slowly dawned across Kougami’s face, “you can’t really call it spending time together if all you do is stare at the barista.” 

“What?!” Ginoza spluttered, barely stopping himself from sloshing his perfectly crafted all over himself, but inconspicuously glancing towards the counter where their drinks had been delivered perfectly by a small girl, short brown hair framing her impossibly hopeful brown eyes. Kougami was right, even if Ginoza didn’t want to admit it. 

“Listen, it’s easy, just ask her if you can see her outside of work sometime. Then we can go back to actually, you know, acting like friends again.” 

Ginoza looked at his best friend and his frumpy features softened. “I haven’t been that bad, have I?” 

Kougami smiled back. “Nah. But you better ask the barista for her number today, or I’ll make Sasayama sub for Kunizuka in your division again.”


	30. Something You Gave Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: he was sad before it happened

“I’m going to ask Ginoza-san to come back,” her voice was strong, but quiet. 

Akane wasn’t sure what she was doing in the analyst lab, but it seemed to happen more and more often, since things had changed so drastically at the MWPSB, that whenever she had a decision to make, or whenever she really just needed to get away, a stop on Shion’s couch made things feel better.

Shion started joking about how Akane’s hue was so clear because the lab resembled a therapist’s office.

“I was hoping you would,” Shion didn’t look up from her work, simply talked, lips curved around a cigarette as her hands worked quickly and easily across the keyboards. “How is he?” 

Akane sighed. 

“He’s very... sad, since all of this happened.” 

“He was sad before this happened, doll,” Shion did look back this time, locking eyes with the young inspector, promoted too quickly, shoved into a place of responsibility she hadn’t earned, but had fit into like a glove, one that needed some adjusting to get used to. 

Akane knew Shion was right, but she couldn’t shake the gnawing guilt that perhaps Ginoza’s lapse into latent criminality was preventable. 

“I don’t say this lightly,” Shion seemed, as usual, to read Akane’s thoughts, “but it would have happened anyway. He couldn’t maintain that kind of weight, of anger.” 

“He’s less angry now,” Akane said in reply. “They really have helped him there at the facility, I think. I just wish they could bring his number back down.” The days of worrying whether she was disclosing too much to Shion were long past, and Akane simply said how she felt. 

Shion’s usually bright and sharp eyes were soft, as she answered, “It isn’t just the facility. He knows he isn’t alone anymore. That’s something you gave him, inspector.”


	31. Snowstorm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: ginaka in a snowstorm

“This is absolutely ridiculous,” Ginoza squinted out the window, glaring at the large flecks of snow piling themselves onto Akane’s balcony. 

“What’s there to be upset about?” She hugged him around the waist from behind. “We don’t have to go to work!” 

“We were going to go for a walk,” he huffed, his voice annoyed. But when Akane looked at him, his eyes were soft. 

“We can drink hot chocolate and watch a movie instead. And maybe play a card game?” 

A grin spread across Ginoza’s face. “I thought you hated playing cards with me.” 

Akane stood up, crossed her arms over her chest. She may, possibly, by chance, have said something similar to that the last time they played cards together. 

“A board game, then,” she sniffed, closing her eyes resolutely. 

A warm hand ran through her hair and she opened one eye, squinted at her ever-faithful enforcer. 

“We can play cards,” he said softly. Then, dropping his voice to a small whisper, he added, “I’ll let you win.” 

She squealed and swatted his hand away. 

_“Ginoza Nobuchika!”_

He laughed for her, and even in her irritation (feigned as it was), she loved him for it.


End file.
